CMPD is trying to propose an ordinance that would require pawnshop owners to get a fingerprint on the pawn ticket for every pawn transaction in Charlotte, NC. I have never visited a pawn shop so it is difficult to form an opinion on this matter but from a crime stand point, I think its great! It would certainly deter criminals from trying to pawn stolen property. On the other hand, it is an invasion of privacy for the non-criminals.
Another problem with this plan is... the police do NOT take prints at all home robberies. I have a friend who was robbed just before Christmas in the University area. Many homes on the street were hit the same day hers was. Many items were taken from the houses, including large items and Christmas presents. She had clear prints in a few places in her house & a clear foot print on the door where they kicked the door open. The police did not lift a finger to take any prints & this was a serial robbery!!!
In addition, her next door neighbors alarm went off when the robbers smashed a window in the back of their house. The police officer responded and put a false alarm ticket on the door. He did not even walk around the house to see that the alarm went off for a reason! Had he investigated this further, he may have caught robbers who wiped the street clean. If the police are going to implement such a statute, they need to do their part to make it worth while. What do you think?
According to a report by News 14 Carolina, more than 1.3 million items are pawned in the Queen City each year. Police said almost all of the transactions are legal but they want to catch the ones that aren’t. The fingerprints would be sent to the police to cross-reference burglary reports. Detectives say the physical evidence is critical to proving their case in court.
Some Pawnshop owners are not in favor of the proposal. We feel this mandatory procedure is not only a violation of our customer's rights, but it is also unfair to the legitimate pawnshop industry," said Rick Ferretti, who owns the Carolina Pawn & Jewelry Exchange. Ferretti said 99 percent of transactions are legitimate and that 75 percent are just people buying back their own items. He thinks other businesses, such as jewelry stores, would have an unfair advantage if pawnshops become regulated. He also thinks the ordinance would alienate customers.
The Charlotte City Council has referred the proposal to the Community Safety Committee. If you have an opinion on the matter, contact the City Council Members.
